Don’t Know Her At All
Translator: Henyee Translations | Editor: Henyee Translations
As the sun neared the horizon, igniting the sky with a blaze of fiery reds, Wang Peifang, no longer the picture of past elegance, trudged towards Chu Village with a bundle on her back…
Stepping onto the smooth cobblestone road, she was taken aback by the transformation from the previously uneven path. The village seed wealthier now, which secretly pleased her, thinking she wouldn’t have to endure
hardship anymore.
Her son, Chu Yanwen, nearly two years old, was dragged along, complaining of the pain in his hand, “Mom, where are we going?”
Wang Peifang looked down at him, “We’re going to Chu Qingzhi’s ho. Her family is wealthy now. We can live well with them.”
Chu Yanwen asked in confusion, “Who’s Chu Qingzhi?
Wang Peifang paused before explaining, “She was once my foster daughter, who was sent back later.”
Chu Yanwen nodded, not fully understanding.
As they continued their conversation, the changed landscape of Chu Village unfolded before them.
The village bore little resemblance to what Wang Peifang rembered, with new houses everywhere, red peppers, mountain berries, and corn hanging under the eaves, and well-maintained flower-lined cobblestone paths. The villagers, appearing relaxed, were returning ho with their hoes over their shoulders.
Delighted by these changes, Wang Peifang felt that living in this picturesque village was no less than residing in the county city.
“Co on, Chu Qingzhi’s ho is just ahead.”
Their arrival piqued the villagers’ curiosity, but no one recognized them. Wang Peifang had changed too much; age, hardship, and the presence of a child rendered her unrecognizable from her forr self.
Feeling uncomfortable, as she used to enter the village by carriage, Wang Peifang steeled herself for the sake of finding refuge and headed towards Chu Qingzhi’s ho.
She walked to the entrance of Chu Qingzhi’s house and happened to catch Li Qingyu and the others returning ho from farming. They looked at each other and the atmosphere was awkward.
After a brief standoff, Li Qingyu broke the silence, “Why are you here?”
Trying to maintain her dignity, Wang Peifang arrogantly responded, “We’ve co to seek refuge with Chu Qingzhi. Where is she?
Many villagers revealed looks of disdain. They had all co to seek refuge, but they still acted like this.
Li Qingyu frowned. Seek refuge? “Qingzhi is still busy outside. She won’t be ho for a while.”
Wang Peifang indignantly retorted, “What kind of behavior is this for a young lady, always out and about? What ti is it, and she’s still not ho?”
The villagers’ looks turned from disdain to disbelief at her foolishness.
Li Qingyu was unhappy. “Qingzhi is my daughter. What she’s doing has nothing to do with you. Go back to where you ca from.” They had cut ties, but she still ca to seek refuge. Why was she so annoying?
When Wang Peifang heard that Li Qingyu wanted to chase her away, she imdiately said, “I raised Chu Qingzhi for 15 years. Now that my family is in dire straits, you don’t care. Is this how you treat people?”
Li Qingyu grew angrier, “You did raise Qingzhi for fifteen years, but didn’t you send her away in the end? When Chu Rong went to fetch her, you declared that from then on, Qingzhi had nothing to do with your family. Those were your words. What are you trying to say now?”
Wang Peifang felt guilty. “I was just saying that out of anger.”
Li Qingyu, however, was unyielding, “You might have said it in anger, but we took it seriously. Madam Chu, our family does not welco you; please leave.” Leave? Wang Peifang couldn’t possibly consider leaving, especially now that she knew of Chu Qingzhi’s wealthy life. She wanted to stay and enjoy the good life. She quickly changed her tune, “Qingyu, we’re all family. Let’s forget about the past.”
The onlookers couldn’t believe her shalessness.
Li Qingyu rejected her outright, “We’re not family. Don’t try to claim relations with us. The mont we took Qingzhi back, any ties between our families were severed.”
Wang Peifang, struggling to maintain her composure, argued, “Li Qingyu, are you being ungrateful? Chu Qingzhi was raised by . Even if you took her back, she was raised by .”
Li Qingyu retorted sharply, “Raised by you? You never treated Qingzhi well. She was so thin when she returned to us, you know that better than anyone.” Wang Peifang tried to defend herself, “What could I do if she was naturally frail?”
Hearing this, Li Qingyu’s anger intensified, “And yet, she wasn’t frail after returning to us, was she?”
Wang Peifang, desperately clinging to her narrative, suggested, “Maybe Chu Qingzhi just couldn’t adapt to the lifestyle of a wealthy family and found your simple als more to her liking?”
The crowd was appalled by her reasoning.
Li Qingyu, nearing her limit, demanded, “We don’t welco you here. Leave!” Wang Peifang planned to stay at Chu Qingzhi’s house with her son and ignored Li Qingyu’s words.
That’s when Chu Qingzhi arrived, attracting the attention of many villagers who made way for her.
Seeing Chu Qingzhi, Wang Peifang approached her eagerly, as if a starving person had spotted food, “Qingzhi, you’re back?”
Chu Qingzhi glanced at Wang Peifang indifferently, imdiately grasping the situation.
Wang Peifang was bankrupt and had no choice but to look for her.
Chu Qingzhi asked blankly, “Who are you?’
Stunned, Wang Peifang stared at Chu Qingzhi, “Don’t you rember ? I’m your foster mother, Wang Peifang.”
Chu Qingzhi shook her head, estranged, “I’m sorry, I don’t know you. Mom, Dad, let’s go ho. I’m hungry.”
Li Qingyu quickly responded, “I’ll make you sothing to eat. Have so snacks in the anti.”
“Okay,” Chu Qingzhi walked towards the yard, treating Wang Peifang as if she were invisible.
Wang Peifangblocked Chu Qingzhi’s path, both desperate and angry, “Chu Qingzhi, you can’t be ungrateful. Now that your brother and I have nowhere to go, you have to take care of us.”
Chu Qingzhi sneered in her heart and turned to ask everyone, “Was I ever adopted?”
The crowd unanimously replied, “No.”
Wang Peifang didn’t expect Chu Qingzhi to be so popular. Everyone in the village was on her side. “How can you say no? You lived with until you were fifteen. I raised you.”
Chu Qingzhi looked innocently at her, “Madam, are you delusional? Everyone says I wasn’t adopted by anyone, yet you insist you raised . Are you trying to scam ?”
Wang Peifang, growing more desperate, “Scam you? What I’m saying is the truth. If I hadn’t raised you, how would I know your na is Chu Qingzhi?
Chu Qingzhi feigned innocence, “Nowadays, probably everyone in the county knows . Knowing my na isn’t strange at all!”
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